NEW YORK — Georgia will open the season ranked No. 1 in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll a year after having its two-year run as national champion end.
The Bulldogs received 46 of the 55 first-place votes from college football coaches in the team released on Monday. Preseason No. 2 Ohio State got seven votes at No. 1, followed by Oregon, Texas and Alabama.
The Associated Press preseason college football poll is scheduled to be released next Monday.
Texas and defending national champion Michigan each got a first-place vote. The Wolverines will open ranked No. 8 after losing coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback JJ McCarthy to the NFL.
Mississippi’s No. 6 ranking represents the highest preseason ranking for the Rebels in the coaches poll since 1970. Notre Dame is No. 7, followed by Michigan, Penn State and Florida State.
The SEC’s Missouri (11) and LSU (12) were just outside the Top 10.
The Southeastern Conference had nine teams in the poll, including half of the Top 12. It’s the highest starting spot for Texas since 2010 and the lowest for the Crimson Tide since 2009.
The Big Ten also had four teams in the Top 10 and six ranked overall while the Big 12 opens with five ranked teams.
Independent Notre Dame was the only team outside the Power 4 conferences ranked.
National runner-up Washington just missed the Top 25.